He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL draft, and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in addition to the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Kansas City Chiefs.

He retired among the top 25 leading rushers in NFL history (currently 26th, after LeSean McCoy passed him[1]), and a member of the 10,000 rushing yards club.

His mother, Betty, worked the graveyard shift in a Virginia coal mine for nearly 20 years while raising seven children, including his younger brother, Julius Jones.

[4] While playing for Powell Valley High School in Big Stone Gap, he led the team to back-to-back state championships in 1994 and 1995.

He broke his late uncle's (Edd Clark) single-game rushing record in 1994 (462 yards against John I. Burton High School).

Finishing 8th in balloting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy, he was the first ACC consensus All-American running back since 1978 (Ted Brown, NC State) and third in league history.

As a free agent in 2004, Jones received his opportunity to be a featured back, signing a multi-year contract with Chicago.

After the season, Ron Turner took over as offensive coordinator and installed zone blocking schemes that utilized Jones's speed and ability to make quick decisions.

Heading into the 2005 NFL season, Jones figured to return to sharing duty as the Bears used their top draft pick on running back Cedric Benson.

Jones did not participate in the Bears’ voluntary off season program in 2006, opting instead to work out on his own, leading to Benson lining up with the first team during workouts.

[7] However, on August 4, Benson injured his shoulder after colliding with Brian Urlacher during a routine practice drill, and Jones returned to his featured back position.

Benson, at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, acted as a straight-ahead runner, whereas Jones used his quicker 5-foot-10 and 215-pound frame to find holes in Chicago's zone-blocking scheme to get through the defense.

[citation needed] During the 2006 playoffs, Jones rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries en route to a 27–24 Bears’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

The next week he rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints, helping the Bears advance to the Super Bowl with a 39–14 win.

Jones, his teammate John St. Clair, and Terrence Wilkins of the Indianapolis Colts were roommates at the University of Virginia.

On October 18, 2009, in a game against the Buffalo Bills, Jones rushed for a Jets franchise record 210 yards and a touchdown, breaking the old mark set by Curtis Martin.

[11] On January 17, 2010, Jones converted a final minute 4th and 1 to lead the Jets to victory over the San Diego Chargers in a 2009 playoff game.

He appeared in Straight Outta Compton the 2015 feature film based on the lives and careers of hip-hop group N.W.A.